Chapter Fifteen: Damage Control

Chapter Fifteen

Damage Control

▬ Third Person- No one's P.O.V ▬

"Baby, the more you fidget the longer it takes," Lori told Carl bluntly whilst combing out his wet hair whilst he moved about. "So don't, okay?" she advised him.

"I'm trying," Carl squirmed, suddenly made uncomfortable with his mom messing with his hair and at the over shirt that had been placed around him with was far too big.

"Oh," Lori said sounding genuinely surprised. "Well try harder," Lori said to him making Carl scowl and stiffen in irritation.

"You think this is bad?" Shane asked sitting comfortably on a lawn chair with his gun on hand. "You wait till you start shaving. That stinks," he warned him. "When that day comes you'll be wishing for one of your mom's haircuts," Shane informed him.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Carl mumbled moodily causing Shane to chuckle at his reaction whilst he cleaned out his Mossberg 590 shotgun.

"Tell you what, you just get through this with some manly dignity and then tomorrow I'll teach you something special," Shane stated causing Carl to perk up. "I'll teach you how to catch frogs," he promised.

"I've caught a frog before," Carl said his face dropping as he lost interest in what Shane had to say as it had disappointed him.

"I said frogs. Plural," Shane corrected him. "It is an art my friend and it is not to be taken lightly. There are ways and means that normal people don't know about and I'm willing to share my secrets," Shane stated hoping to regain Carl's interest, his words causing Carl to turn his head to look at Loti.

"I'm a girl," Lori said putting her hands up in surrender. "You talk to him," she said to Carl causing him to turn head back to look at Shane.

"Mmmm," Shane mused. "It's a onetime offer bud, it's not to be repeated," Shane continued to make it look more appealing to Carl.

"Why do we need frogs plural?" Carl questioned as Lori snipped a bit at his hair and made a sound of agreement, wondering this herself.

"Ever eat frogs legs?" Shane questioned him casually, causing Carl to screw his face up in disgust of Shane's words.

"Ew,"

"No, yum,"

"No. He's right: Ew."

"When we get down to that last can of beans you're going to be loving those frogs legs lady," Shane assured her with a chuckle. "I can see it now: Urm. Shane. D-D-Do you think I can have a second helping please? It's just this once," Shane imitated her causing her to look at his now smiling face.

"Yeah," she laughed. "I doubt that," she turned to comb Carl's longish hair out again and start to trim it even further, above the collar of the shirt.

"Don't listen to her man. You and me will be heroes, feeding these folks Cajun-style Kermit legs," Shane dismissed Lori's words.

"I would rather eat Miss Piggy," Lori expressed her preference for pork by sputtering the words causing Shane to look up at her with a grin. "Yes, that came out wrong,"

"We will be heroes son. Spoken of in song and legend. You and me. Shane and Carl." Shane informed Carl with a smile as Lori went to chop a bit off his hair off.

"Can I come?!" Stacie asked, popping up out of nowhere behind Shane causing Lori to nearly chop the bit of unmeasured hair off.

"Woah girl, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Shane expressed putting his hand over his heart as Stacie made her way in front of him.

"Oh please Shane," she begged him, ignoring his words only interested in catching frogs. "My mommy and daddy work in France, that's where they eat frogs isn't it?" she asked causing Shane to give her a nod. "Can I come? Can I? Can I? Can I?" she begged causing Shane to let out a chuckle at her enthusiasm which reminded him a hell of a lot of his younger sisters when she was her age.

"Sure you can sweetheart," Shane told her causing Stacie to grin from ear to ear as she did a little 'celebratory' dance which consisted of spinning around on the spot until she nearly fell to the ground.

The silence was broken when a sound of a car alarm in the distance drifted through the survivor camp. Everyone's head turned in its direction causing Shane to get up his of his seat and approach Dale who was looking out using a pair of black binoculars.

"Talk to me Dale," Shane said.

"Can't tell yet," Dale responded.

"Is it them? Are they back?" Amy asked keenly.

"Well I'll be damned," Dale said as he got sigh of the red doge challenger zigzagging all along the road below. "Stolen car is my guess," he stated and sure enough a minute later the red dodge challenger pulled into camp and Glenn got out of it. "Holy crap, turn that damn thing off," Dale demanded.

"I don't know how," Glenn admitted shrugging casually, honestly he had been expecting a whole other scenario when he arrived in camp perhaps a hug or two and a 'Hey Glenn, nice to know you are alive' but what he got and what he expected were both very different.

Everybody was talking over each other. Some were complaining at the level of noise. Others were questioning him. Amy and Shane were demanding to be told about their siblings whereabouts. Jim was asking Glenn to pop the hood. Words were coming at Glenn from all direction and all he could do was look around aimlessly. Finally he had enough of all the noise, got into the car and popped the hood like Jim had asked before creeping back out again.

"Electra," Shane said with authority as he looked straight into Glenn's brown eyes. "Is she alright?" he demanded of him.

"My sister, Andrea, is she okay?" Amy demanded tearing Glenn's eyes away from Shane's intense stare before he could answer him. "Is she alright?" she asked again.

"Yeah. Yeah. She's okay. She's okay." Glenn spoke, tired of all the questions being thrown at him.

"Andrea's okay?"

"Yes."

"Why isn't Ellie with you?" Shane demanded as Jim finally managed to disable the car alarm plunging the camp into silence. "Where is she? She's okay?" Shane interrogated him.

"Yes!" Glenn shouted shutting everybody up. "Yeah," he nodded taking a deep breath. "Electra's fine, everybody is," he assured everyone. "Well Merle not so much...."

"You crazy driving this wheeling bastard up here? You trying to attract every walker for miles?" Shane asked angrily causing Glenn's face to drop.

"I think it's alright," Dale said in Glenn's defence. "That alarm was going all over these hills. It'd be hard to pinpoint the source," Dale explained causing Shane to throw him a pointed look. "I'm not arguing, I'm just saying," Dale told Shane with a shrug. "But it wouldn't hurt you to think things through a little more carefully next time, would it?" Dale asked Glenn, siding with Shane.

"I'm sorry," Glenn apologized with a frown. "Got a cool car though," he stated with a shrug causing Stacie to run towards him and hug him. "Hey Stacie," he greeted returning the hug.

It was then that the 'Ferenc' cube van arrived at camp, parking behind Glenn's dodge challenger. The first to hop out was Andrea.

"Andrea!" Amy said as she ran towards her sister to hug her, tearing up as she clinged to her tightly. "Oh God," she giggled. "You scared the shit out of me," she admitted, the tears freely falling down her face.

"Shane!" Electra screamed as she jumped out of the back of the cube van. She ran into her brothers open arms causing him to lift her up in his arms for a moment before enveloping her in a tight hug. Still in the hug they both felt a pair of arms wrap around their legs, they looked down to see it was Stacie. "Hey girl, you miss me?" Electra asked as she ruffled Stacie's hair.

"Pappi!" Electra turned her head to see Morales hopping out of the passenger side of the cube van to meet Eliza and Louis who were running towards him, his wife Miranda frozen on the spot.

"Told you I'd be back didn't I?" Morales said approaching his wife with little Eliza in his arms before he pecked her on the lips.

This reunion in particular caused Carl to start to tear up missing his farther immensely. Shane and Electra frowned as they saw Lori pull him away from the crowd in order to comfort her son.

"You are a welcome sight," Dale said to Electra causing her to look away from Carl and Lori and smile at him. "I thought we'd lost you folks for sure," Dale admitted.

"There's no getting rid of us that easy, Dale," Electra chuckled causing Shane to look at the both of them in confusion. "We were trapped in a department store with God knows how many walkers surrounding us," Electra explained to him. "You guys got our transmission?" she looked at Shane.

"Yeah we did, but it was unclear and we weren't sure what we heard," Thea admitted, covering for Lori. "How did you guys get out of there anyway?" she questioned.

"The new guy," Glenn answered causing Thea and Shane to turn in his direction. "He got us out," he explained causing everyone to look around at each other.

"New guy?"

"Yeah," Morales confirmed. "Crazy guy. Just got us out of town," he informed Shane. "Hey! Helicopter boy! Come say hello!" Morales called causing the drivers door to swing open. "Guys a cop, like you," he added on to Shane causing Electra to grin. It would be such a nice surprise for him. She thought to herself, that was the reason why she didn't tell Rick back in Atlanta.

Rick emerged into plain sight. The first person he recognized was Shane and the pair traded stunned glances whilst Electra grinned away from under Shane's arm looking at their reactions. Carl tearfully lifted his head and Lori's eyes followed. Spotting Rick, Carl called out for his 'Dad' causing both Electra's and Rick's eyes to go as wide as plates. Rick, unable to structure a sentence simply opened his arms for Carl to run into and lifted him up. Lori raced after him and embraced both her husband and son as Shane, Electra and the rest of the group watched on dumbfounded. Over her husband's shoulder Lori met Shane's gaze and store at him causing him to look down. Rick turned his head to look at Electra and Shane, Shane smiled at him as Electra stood there and store him.

His kid was Carl Grimes....not Electra Grimes. Carl, named after her Electra Carlie Walsh. Rick, Carl and Lori Grimes. Electra didn't know what she was feeling, whether it was shock that they were all related, happiness that Rick had reunited with his family or sadness but then she remembered who would definitely be feeling a mixture of these three things. She looked up at Shane, feeling sorry for him.

"You guys have had a long few days," Thea spoke up. "Come on, sit down, light the campfires, I'll cook us all up something good," she promised.

►►►

Twelve of the survivors were now sitting around one of the campfires. Carl was laying in his father's lap as Rick had his arm thrown around his wife who was sat beside him. Stacie was sat on Electra's lap as Electra had her head leaning on Shane's shoulder. Sitting to Electra's left was Glenn, Thea was sat in-between Glenn and T-Dog. Beside T-Dog sat Dale who was on the left of Andrea and Amy.

"How did you feel?"

"Disoriented, I guess that comes closest: Disoriented," Rick replied to Stacie's question. "Fear and confusion and all those things but disoriented comes closest," he explained to Stacie at he stared at him.

"Words, they can mean a meter of things," Dale spoke putting down his empty bowl. "Sometimes they fall short," Dale stated.

"It felt like I had been ripped out of my life and put somewhere else," Rick described. "For a while I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, something that I might not wake up from....eve," he explained further causing a shiver to travel down Stacie's spine.

"Mom said you died," Carl stated looking up at his father. Rick looked from Carl to Lori who stiffened uncomfortably beside him.

"She had every reason to believe that," Rick nodded looking down at his son yet again. "Don't you ever doubt it," Rick told him as Lori looked at Shane.

"When things started to get really bad they told me....at the hospital.... That they were going to evacuate you and the other patients to Atlanta," she explained herself to Rick. "And it never happened," she added.

"No, I'm not surprised after Atlanta fell," Rick commented. "And by the looks of that hospital......it got overrun," he said looking around at everyone.

"Looks don't deceive," Shane confirmed. "Barely got them out," he stated referring to Carl and Lori as Electra repositioned herself under her blanket.

"Yeah," Rick nodded and looked at Shane. "I can't tell you how grateful I am to you Shane, can't begin to express it," Rick said, truly meaning every word of it.

"And there are those words falling short again," Dale remarked. "Poultry things," he commented. Nearby, Ed Peletier stoked his family's fire with a fresh log.

"Hey Ed," Shane called gaining the man's attention for a moment. "Do you want to rethink that log?" Shane questioned him.

"I'm cold man,"

"Cold don't change the rules, does it? Keep our fires low so that we can't be seen from a distance, right?" Shane retorted.

"I said it's cold," Ed said dismissively losing interest in Shane's words. "Why don't you mind your own business for once?" Ed asked causing Shane to get up and have a private conversation with him.

"I'm glad to see you and Shane found each other," Rick said to Electra causing her to tear her eyes away from her brother and Ed.

"So am I," she commented with a small smile. "I'm glad you've been reunited with your family," Electra nodded causing Carl to sit up and look in between his father and Electra.

"You know eachother?"

"Sure thing," Electra replied. "Best friends back in the day your Dad, Shane and me," she explained. "God I sound old," she commented causing Rick to chuckle. "But I didn't know that you were his son and your momma was his wife though," she explained.

"Shane didn't tell you?"

"Naw," Electra shook her head. "Was under the impression that you two had lost contact but turns out he was under the impression that you were dead.....probably didn't want to bring it up," she commented.

"Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon?" Dale asked a minute later when Shane was once again seated next to Electra. "He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind," he commented.

"I'll tell him," T-Dog spoke up causing all eyes to drift to him. "I dropped the keys, it's on me," he explained with a frown and a guilty conscience.

"I cuffed him, that makes it mine," Rick argued.

"Guys," Glenn stopped them. "It's not a competition," he reminded them. "I don't mean to bring race into this but it may sound better coming from a white guy," he remarked.

"Or a white girl,"

Slowly: Lori, Carl, Shane, Stacie, Amy, Andrea, Dale, Glenn and Thea turned their heads to look in Electra's direction who was currently looking down at her empty metal bowl. At the silence Electra looked up and around at everyone in confusion before finally catching on to what Amy was suggesting.

"Oh no," Electra shook her head thoroughly chuckling slightly as she got up off of the log. "Hell no, there is no way you are getting me to tell Daryl that his brother was left behind. No way." She informed them all putting her bowl in by the camp fire.

"You get along better with Daryl than anyone else does," Amy said reasonably causing Electra to look back at her with her arms crossed.

"Just because me and Daryl are hunting partners does not mean we get along in the slightest, it's called tolerating," she argued back.

"Well he tolerates you! Which is a lot more than I can say for us lot!" Amy argued back.

"He tolerates me because I am able to hunt and you guys are not," Electra shot back at her. "He just thinks you guys are even more useless than I am, doesn't mean he respects me or likes me in any sense of the words," she stated.

"Oh come on!" Amy argued. "Why not?"

"Oh, hmmm, let me think about that," Electra said sarcastically pretending to ponder for a second. "Because I don't have a death wish maybe? My head does not feel like having an arrow go through it thank you very much," Electra stated the obvious.

"It wouldn't come to that," Shane stated.

"Oh yes it certainly would, you guys haven't seen Daryl with that crossbow. He has skills," Electra stated. "Not that an arrow through the head would be unreasonable reaction," Electra stated causing T-Dog to look down. "Not saying that we were in the wrong, but personally I would go crazy whether you were right or wrong. Family is family," Electra stated causing T-Dog to look back up.

"But-"

"Leave Electra alone," T-Dog stated. "I am the most to blame, Rick second, Electra and the rest were equally to blame," T-Dog defended her. "If she doesn't want to do it, don't make her,"

"We could lie,"

"I did what I did, I'm not going to hide from it,"

"Lying's not going to get us anywhere, Amy," Electra said to the blonde. "We should tell the truth, he deserves the truth, everyone does," Electra stated her thoughts. "And it will always come out sooner or later,"

"Merle was out of control, something needed to be done or he'd have gotten us killed. Your husband did what was necessary. And if Merle got left behind it was nobody's fault," Andrea added.

"And that's what we tell Daryl? I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that with anyone never mind Daryl, do you?" Dale said unsatisfied with this answer. "Word to the wiser, we're going to have his hands full when he gets back from his hunt,"

"I was scared and I ran, I'm not ashamed of it," T-Dog said, Electra continued to look at him waiting for him to put forward his point. "I stopped long enough to chain that door. The staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks squeezed against it at one time. It's not enough to break through it. Not that chain. Not that padlock. My point: Dixon's alive. He's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us," T-Dog revealed to everyone before getting up off of the log and heading to his tent as Electra looked down in thought.

She felt bad, like really bad as a wave of guilt crashed into her. Sure, she was not Merle's number one fan and had never claimed otherwise but she didn't wish that fate on him....she wouldn't wish that fate on anyone.

"Electra?"

"Yes sweetheart?" Electra looked up to see that Stacie had twisted around in her lap to look at her face, she had a worried expression on her face.

"I'm sleepy," she frowned before letting out a yawn which caused Electra to let out a giggle as she picked Stacie up off of her lap and stood up.

"Good night everyone,"

►►►

"Why are you doing this?" Electra asked helping Shane carry newly collected water back to camp. "We both know that Stacie could do this job by herself Shane," she commented. "Why would you pretend that you needed my help with the water?" Electra demanded.

"For your own protection," Shane replied, causing Electra to stare at him before erupting.

"For my own protection?" she asked him in disbelief. "For my own protection?!" her voice raised. "Best before dates are for my own protection...Washing my hands is for my own protection... Fifty SPF suntan lotion is for my own protection!" she growled at him. "Go on Shane, fill me in. From what exactly do I need protection?" she asked calming down a tic but still a bit pissed.

"Lori and.....Rick," Shane hesitated looking door at his shoes. "I know you still have feelings for him," Shane stated in a hushed voice. Electra looked over to where the couple were stood, they were arguing over by their tent.

"Oh, I see," Electra said placing her hands on her hips. "Apart from wasting my entire morning you don't even trust that I'm mature enough not to get between my best friend and his wife?" she asked, more hurt then pissed now.

"It's not that I don't trust you Ellie it's.....I don't want to see you get hurt," Shane frowned before Electra took in a deep breath. "Damage control,"

"I can control my own damage thank you very much," Electra croaked before storming off.

"You can't go back!" Lori ragged looking at her husband in disbelief.

"Lori, I ne-" Rick began, attempting to reason with his wife who wasn't having any of it.

"The hell you do!"

"I don't believe you two!" Electra roared as she approached them causing both their heads to snap in her direction. "Don't you get it?" Electra asked them, silence fell. "You don't.....but you're gonna!" she snapped. "Some people spend their whole life wanting something and they can't have it," Electra explained, referring to herself wanting Rick. "But you guys? You have it! And you're clearly meant to have it seeing as you found each other again," Electra said calming down. "Your husband died! And now he's standing right in front of you and you're arguing with him?" Electra asked as she turned to Lori. "Seriously?" she turned her head to Rick who stared at her for an instant before turning back to Lori.

"I left him up there he's my responsibility, I need to do this Lori," Rick said to Lori before taking her hands in his. "Please...just let me do this,"

"Okay," Lori nodded tears in her browny- green after a sigh. Rick smiled at her before pulling her into a hug which was equally as warm on either side.

'Thank you,' Rick mouthed to his best friend who was trying her best to keep the fake smile up. She nodded in acknowledgment before she walked back to where Shane was stood.

"By the way," she looked from him, to Lori and Rick and back to Shane again. "I don't think it was just me who needed the damage control," she paused. "I know you have feelings for her," she whispered neutrally.

"I'm sorry," Shane whispered, ashamed of himself as he returned his eyes back to his little sisters face. "And you're right, I do have feelings for her," Shane frowned.

"Well you need to do what I've been doing ever since I was twelve..." Electra stated. "Ignore them,"

"I don't know how you did that, for all that time...It's not been 24 hours and it's already driving me crazy with jealousy," Shane stated.

"You just gotta control it," Electra told him. "For your sake," she wrapped her arms around her brother in comfort as he wrapped his around her. "Now I'm going to the lake, I need to wash,"

Electra adored the feel of the cool water on her skin, it felt fantastic, she needed this. Stepping back again she unbuckled her jeans and pulled of her top leaving her in her matching navy blue bra and panties. Gladly, she dove into the lake submerging herself in the clear blue waters. As she rose up to the surface she could feel the water droplets clinging to her body and the tips of her eyelashes. It had felt like she had been gone for years.

Crunch

"Stacie, sorry to tell you this kiddo but you are defiantly no nin-" Electra began turning around towards the source of the noise, cut off by her own scream.

A walker.

A walker up here in the forest.

A walker up here in the forest which was coming into the water, heading towards her.

Panicking, she rushed backwards crawling backwards on the dirt. Her hands feeling out behind her for he bows and arrows so that she could defend herself. The walker lunged for her, falling down on top of her. She screamed, pushing it off of her and backing away for it before seeing that an arrow had pierced its head. It was dead.

"You're back,"

"Daryl," Electra realised, throwing her whole body backwards so that she was lying flat on the dirty ground before she began to catch her breath.

"Glad you're not dead," he said retrieving the arrow from the walkers head as she just lay there on the ground hyperventilating.

"So am I,"

"Hunting's taken so much longer without you here," Daryl stated cleaning off the blood soaked arrow and placing it back into his quiver. "Didn't realise how much of a difference you actually make," he remarked.

"I'll take that as a compliment....I think," Electra said. "I see the squirrel population is still booming," Electra stated, referring to the several squirrels she had seen on Daryl's rope beforehand.

"ELLIE!"

Electra shot up to her feet to see the armed Shane, Rick, Lori, Jim, T-Dog, Thea, Glenn, Dale, Amy and Andrea running towards her. She instantly slammed into her brother and wrapped her arms around him, not carrying about her attire.

"A walker?" Amy asked out of disbelief of what she was seeing in front of her causing everyone's eyes to now focus on the dead walked instead of Electra.

"Are you okay?" Shane questioned Electra out of concern, wiping the blood of the walker off of her face with the back of his hand.

"I'm fine Shane," Electra assured him holding his arms as he held hers. "It's not me you should be worrying about, it's the walker," she stated causing Shane to look past her at the walker.

"Hey," Rick said unbuttoning his sheriffs shirt and pulling it off leaving him in his white under tee. "Here, take this," Rick went behind her and put it on her shoulders, helping her dress herself.

"I'm perfectly able of dressing myself Rick," Electra stated, ignoring the heat which was rising to her cheeks as she slipped her arms through the shirt and buttoned it up. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"This is the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain before," Dale remarked staring at the walker.

"They're running out of food in the city, that's what," Jim offered up making a pang go through Electra's heart. She wished her safe haven to stay just that, safe.

"And we're the next and closest best thing," Thea said motionlessly causing everyone to feel completely and utterly depressed.

"Might only be one," Dale said optimistically. "It might have been up here for weeks for all we know, maybe it was here before us," he suggested.

"And he got past Merle, Daryl and Electra?" T-Dog asked shooting down the theory. "They practically spend their whole days in that forest,"

"I doubt a walker would pass them by,"

"I doubt a walker would get passed them,"

"Probably Glenn's fault, seeing as he drove that loud ass car up here,"

"Yeah,"

"Hey!" Electra called. "No point of blaming anyone, ya hear me?" she said sternly.

"Son of a bitch!" Daryl shouted causing everyone's head to snap simultaneously to see a deer lying half eaten not far from the lake. "That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!" he raged kicking the dead walker. "Merle!" he called out walking back in the direction of camp.

"That's the Daryl we all love and hate," Electra explained to Rick.

"You hunt with that guy....every day?"

"It's a long story,"

Daryl walked back into base camp with his crossbow slung over one shoulder and bunch of squirrels in his right hand. Andrea, Amy, Lori, Stacie, Carl, Sophia, Carol and other survivors were standing by the R.V waiting to watch Daryl's reaction from the side lines.

"MERLE!" Daryl called out yet again walking into camp, by now Electra, Rick and Shane were near enough to him to start a conversation.

"Daryl," Shane started as Daryl was still looking around camp for his brother. "Why don't you slow down a bit?" Shane suggested. "I need to talk to you,"

"About what?" Daryl said, not bothering to turn around to face him.

"About Merle," he stated, but still Daryl did not turn around to face him. "There was a.....there was a problem in Atlanta," Shane hesitated.

"He dead?" Daryl turned his head slightly to look at Shane with a blank look on his face, pausing before he asked the question.

"Not sure,"

"He either is or he aint,"

"Huh," Rick sighed before taking a step forward and taking over from Shane. "There's no easy way to say this but I'll just say it," he stated.

"Who are you?" Daryl demanded.

"Rick Grimes,"

"Rick Grimes," Daryl repeated his words in an aggressive tone before turning to face him. "You got somethin' you wanna tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all....." Rick told Daryl calmly. "So I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked in a piece of metal," T-Dog approached camp holding pieces of firewood. "He's still there," Rick admitted.

"Wait," Daryl snapped at him. "Let me just process this....Your saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof.....and you left him there?!" Daryl began normally then ended off shouting.

"Yeah...."

Enraged, Daryl threw the dead squirrels at Rick, who ducks just in time as Shane throws Daryl backwards on to the floor. Daryl, still on the floor, pulled his hunting knife out from his pocket.

"Hey! Watch the knife!"

Daryl sprung up from the ground and took a swipe at Rick but Rick successfully dodged- moving backwards. Daryl tried again but Electra twisted his arm backwards, the surprise caused him to drop the hunting knife to the floor where she kicked it away as Shane locked Daryl in a sleeper hold.

"You best let me go!"

"Na, I think it's better if I don't," Shane stated ignoring him, gradually bringing him lower and lower towards the forest floor.

"Choke holdin's illegal!" Daryl argued breathlessly in a feeble attempt to stop him, to which Shane responds with a shrug.

"Yeah, well, you can file a complaint," Shane stated, aggravating even further which caused him to struggle. "Come on man, we can keep this up all day," Shane said as Rick crouched down to get on eyelevel with Daryl.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic; you think we can manage that?" Rick asked to which he got no reply. "Do you think we can manage that?" Daryl did nothing; Rick nodded at Shane causing him to release Daryl out of his sleeper hold.

"What Rick did was not on a whim...." Electra stepped in causing Daryl to look at her. "Your brother does not work or play well with others," she stated.

"He your boyfriend or something, Miss Match?" Daryl asked as to which Electra rolled her eyes before looking at Rick again.

"It's not Rick's fault," T-Dog stepped in to the conversation which caused Daryl to turn away from Electra and to T-Dog. "I had the key: I dropped it," he admitted.

"Couldn't pick it up?"

"I dropped it down the drain,"

"If that's supposed to make me feel better? It don't," Daryl said after he had bent over on the ground whilst getting to his feet.

"Well then, maybe this will," T-Dog responded. "I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him..... with a padlock,"

"That's got to count for something," Electra said, arguing T-Dogs case causing Daryl to turn to her for a second before wiping his eyes.

"To hell with all of y'all!" he roared walking away slightly before turning back., "Just tell me where he is, so I can go get him," he demanded.

"He'll show you....." Lori looked over at Rick. "Isn't that right?" Rick looked over at her and nodded causing Lori to sigh and climb inside the R.V.

"I'm going back,"

"Thea?" Electra asked hesitantly from behind Thea who was leaning against the R.V who was staring out aimlessly out into the distance. "Thea?!"

"It's a dodge challenger,"

"What?" Electra questioned walking around the tree to get a look at her face. "What are you talking about?" she asked confused.

"The car Glenn drove up here," Thea explained running a hand down her face. "It's a dodge challenger," she stated causing Electra to raise an eyebrow.

"Okay...?"

"It's red....like Aarons' was," Thea explained causing a wave of guilt to overcome Electra who simply frowned remembering her story. Electra squeezed Thea's shoulder in a form of support throwing her s small smile before turning around to walk off. "You want to go with them don't you?" Thea asked to which Electra nodded. "I don't know why you would but, be careful...yeah?" Thea stated causing Electra to nod walking towards Shane, Rick, Glenn and T-Dog who were all speaking.

"That's just great," Shane stated sarcastically. "Now you're going to risk 3 men, huh?" he questioned Rick. They're talking about going back.

"Four," T-Dog spoke up.

"And a woman..." Electra stated causing Shane to look in her direction before staring at her in disbelief before shaking his head.

"Ellie, can I have a word in privat-"

"No," Electra cut Shane off. "No you cannot Shane, I don't see you wanting to have a conversation with T-Dog in private so why should you want to have one with me?"

"You know why," Shane stated looking in her eyes.

"You wanna say something to me? You can say it in front of everyone,"

"Ellie...."

"Shane,"

"Please don't do this," Shane frowned. "It's not fair on me and it's not fair on Stacie," he stated, thinking of reasons to keep her from going.

"You know what's not fair, Shane? Glenn having to risk his life again when he was absolutely not responsible for Dixon, Rick having to leave his child and wife after reuniting with them," Electra stated.

"You are the only family I've ever had, I am not having you risking your life for a person who you hate," Shane said in argument.

"You don't understand Shane," Electra stated. "I may not even like Merle but this happened on my watch Shane. My watch. That makes this entire thing, my fault. Just because I didn't want to break the news to Daryl doesn't mean I don't think I'm responsible for it. And that may not bother you, but it bothers me and I refuse to stand back," Electra ranted. "Will you let me go if I promise not to die?" Electra asked. "Is that what you want from me? Because I can promise that right now: I will not die," Electra said causing Shane to laugh a little. "I'm going,"

"That's five," Shane said to Rick. "Five including my sister," he repeated again, hiding his anger. "That's not just.....You're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that Rick," Shane said. "Come on, you saw that walker it was here, it was in camp and they're moving out of the cities. We need every able body we've got. We need them here. We need them to protect camp!" Shane informed him.

"Rick had guns," Electra stated causing everyone to look at her. "When we were on the walkie....you said that you had a black bag right? I could see it; it said sheriff on it," This caused everyone to look at Rick.

"6 shotguns, 2 high-powered rifles, over a dozen hand guns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed; they're just sitting there on the street waiting to be picked up," Rick explained to Shane.

"Ammo?"

"700 rounds, assorted,"

"To hell with the guns. Shane is right: Merle Dixon. He's not worth one of your lives even with guns thrown in," Lori argued.

"I owe a debt, to a man and his little boy," Lori looked at Carl about to speak before she turned back. "Lori, If they hadn't taken me in I would have died. It's because of them that I made it back to you at all. They said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if I don't warn them. The walkie talkie? It was in the bag I dropped," Rick explained.

"Can't use ours, our walkies suck. They're crap, they date back to the seventies and don't match any band with under the ones of the cars," Shane stated.

"It's alright dad," Carl said nodding at his father. "You can go," Carl granted him permission causing Rick to nod at him out of respect.

"We're going to need bolt cutters," Rick stated looking around at T-Dog, Electra, Glenn and Daryl who was sat on a log dealing with his crossbow.

"Dale and Jim," Electra pointed him in their direction. "They should have them, go speak to them," she told him causing Rick to walk off.

"You're going back, aren't you?" a voice came from behind her. Electra turned around to see Stacie looking up at her with her big blue eyes; Electra nodded. "But you just got back," Stacie whined.

"I know, I know and it's a little unfair of me to leave you and Shane again but..." she trailed off as she crouched down to get on Stacie's eyelevel. "I need to go back Stacie, Merle was left there alone....all alone. Like you were, in the first days of all this....I abandoned him without a second thought. I need to go back, I can't-"

"I understand," Stacie interrupted Electra causing her to cock any eyebrow at her. "Well....I kind of do...I really like you but I'll be okay with Shane for another few days,"

"Thank you," Electra nodded at Stacie before pulling her into a little bear hug and lifting her off of her feet as Shane began to walk over.

Just then the horn began to honk causing Electra, Stacie, Shane, Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, Dale and Jim to look in the cube vans direction.

"Come on! Let's go!" Daryl shouted impatiently. Sighing Shane took Stacie out of Electra's grip and pecked his sisters cheek as a form of saying goodbye before she jumped into the cube van via the front along with T-Dog, Rick and Glenn entering through the passenger doors a few seconds later.

"I believe ya got somethin' that belongs to me woman,"

Electra lifted her gaze from the arrow that had become all of a sudden become her centre of attention upon entering the cube van about an hour ago before T-Dog's and Glenn's eyes shifted over to Daryl. Electra dug her hand into her pocket and retrieved Daryl's hunting knife, holding it in her hand for a while before reluctantly holding it out for him to take...which he did.

"There best not be one scratch, Miss Match," Daryl 'warned' her in a growl before looking down at the knife which caused her to roll her eyes.

"Back to that nick name again?" Electra questioned him with a raise of her eyebrow. "I still have got no clue how you got 'Miss Match' from Electra Walsh..." she admitted, scrunching up her forehead. "Is it a reference that I'm missing or....?" Electra looked to T-Dog for answers who shrugged.

"Oh wow..." Daryl mumbled under his breath. "I didn't get it from Electra Walsh dumbass...I didn't even know your name when I came up with it," he rolled his eyes at her.

"Then what?"

"Your eyes," he pointed out. "They're mismatched," he said causing her to feel incredibly stupid. "Were the first thing I noticed when I met you...." She just store at him.

"Trust you to spot my worst feature first and nickname me after that feature," Electra threw back at him causing Glenn to give her a sceptical look.

"You're the only girl I can manage to look in the eye and that's because it's impossible not too...." Glenn told her honestly.

"Wh-"

"Your eyes are real pretty Ellie, they are probably the nicest eyes I've seen......" Rick said from the driver's seat. "Certainly the most unique," And so the awkward lingering silence began yet again causing Electra this time to focus on her nails.

"He'd better be okay," Daryl said after looking up to catch T-Dog staring at him. "Because that's another word on the matter,"

"I told you," T-Dog said agitated. "The geeks can't get at him," T-Dog assured him for the hundredth time. "The only thing that's going to get through that door is us," The cube van came to a stop right beside the freight-liner they had originally taken into the city.

"We walk from here," Glenn said hesitantly, turning back from the passenger seats to look at T-Dog, Electra and Daryl. With a sigh Electra sprang to her feet and pulled up the cube van door open so that she and the men could jump out through the back.

"Follow my lead," Glenn instructed them seeing everyone but him looking around aimlessly not knowing in which direction to walk. Everyone obeyed him, walking until the occurred a wired fence which Electra happily cut with the cutters Dale had been provided them with. Rick held it open for her to slide through gracefully without scratching herself , followed swiftly by T-Dog, Glenn then Rick himself.

"Merle first or guns?" Rick asked causing Daryl to throw him a filthy look as he slipped through the tear in the fence, crossbow in hand.

"Merle!" he growled at him, "We aint even having this conversation,"

"We are," Rick snapped back at Glenn beginning to walk whilst turning his head to look at Glenn. "You know the geography..... it's your call," he announced.

"Merle's closest," Glenn assessed keeping by Rick's side. "The guns would mean doubling back so Merle first," he stated causing Rick to nod. "The ladder to the roof was broken wasn't it?" Glenn questioned Electra checking his memory causing Rick to look in her direction.

"Yes," Electra said causing Daryl to scoff at her. "We weren't sure walkers could climb, we wanted to prevent them from getting up to the roof whilst I was picking the lock," she explained to Rick ignoring Daryl's reaction.

"That was a wise choice," Rick nodded at her impressed. "They can climb, me and Glenn witnessed it when you guys were saving my ass," Rick told her. "How much further?"

"Not much," Glenn stated beginning into a little jog now. "The alleyways just around the corner: be ready. There are usually gee- walkers there," Glenn warned them before they turned the corner causing T-Dog to raise an eyebrow involuntarily.

"Where the hell are they?"

"I don't know and to be quite frank I don't care," Electra said to T-Dog before sprinting to the doors and pulling them wide open. "Just be on your guard, T-Dog also said that the glass smashed. It could be flooded with walkers," she said as they slipped in through the doors as quietly as possible. Everyone allowed Rick to take the lead, following him further into the department store. Rick stopped everyone, gesturing to a walker. Daryl came forward to get a better aim at the walker who was slowly approaching them.

"Damn," Daryl exclaimed looking over the walker. "You are one ugly skank," he commented before shooting an arrow through her eye causing the moaning to stop.

Electra rolled her eyes whilst passing him out and heading to the stair case causing Rick to look at her in disbelief but quickly was on her heels.

//////

Ed continued to loom over Andrea, Amy, Thea, Carol and Jacqui doing the camps laundry in silence, awkwardly they were scrubbing the clothes whilst looking downwards.

"I'll tell you what," Andrea got to her feet and turned around to speak to Ed. "You don't like how your laundry's done? You are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself," Andrea suggested. "Here," she threw him a top which he threw back at her aggressively.

"It aint my job missy,"

"Andrea, don't," Amy begged now all the women were on their feet apart from Carol who was pretending that she was not hearing this and continued to wash her lot of clothes.

"And what is your job, Ed?" Andrea walked even further towards the man. "Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes all day?"

"It sure aint listenin' to some uppity smart mouthed bitch, tell you what," he retorted before looking at Carol. "Come on, lets go," he said causing Carol to get to her feet.

"I don't think she needs to go anywhere with you Ed," Andrea spoke up, with her hands on her hips defending Carol where she seemed not to be.

"And I say it's none of your business," Ed spoke down to Andrea before looking to his wife again. "Come on now, you heard me," he said to her.

"Please," Carol urged Andrea who was stood in front of her placing her hand on the older woman's shoulder to assure her. "It doesn't matter," she whispered meekly.

"Hey," Ed hollered causing Andrea spin around to face him. "Don't think I won't knock you on your ass just because you some college educated cooze, alright?" Ed told her causing Andrea to scoff. "Now you come on now or are you gonna regret it later?" Ed threatened Carol.

"So she can show up with fresh bruises later Ed?" Jacqui asked him. "Yeah.....we've seen them," she added causing Ed to laugh.

"Stay out of this," he said to Jacqui. "Now come on," he said to Carol but both Thea and Andrea stood in front of Carol to defend her. "This aint none of your business!" he snapped at them, but they didn't move. "You wanna keep driving the boat here, okay? Now I am done talking," he stated. "Come on!" he ordered Carol who reluctantly began to move towards him.

"No. No. Carol you don't have to-"

"Carol!"

"Carol! You don't have to!"

"Leave her alone!" Thea shouted at Ed causing Shane to turn his head from further up the mountains to see the chaotic scene before him.

"You don't tell me what! I'll tell you what?!"

Shane was approaching the woman and Ed going to try to sort out the confrontation despite the fact that he was still a little ticked off from his own with Lori only moments before.

Slap.

Ed had brought his hand down on Carol and had slapped her across the face riling both Shane and the woman up. Shane began to sprint towards them as Amy pulled Carol (who was still cupping her own cheek) away from Ed who was trying to get at Carol but was being blocked by Thea, Andrea and Jacqui who were attacking and screaming at him. Shane grabbed Ed by the collar and dragged him off of Carol before proceeding to drag him further away from the woman before throwing him to the ground.

Unable to control himself Shane begins to punch Ed's face over and over again, pummelling him over his own and Carol's protests. When Shane continues to beat Ed for way longer than necessary and expected by the woman they began to call out to him to try to get him to stop.

"Shane!"

"That's enough!"

"Stop it!"

"SHANE! STOP IT!"

Finally Shane stopped. He dragged Ed's face closer to his own by the collar of his shirt whilst he was still on the floor and felt a wave of disgust looking down into his dull blue eyes, ignoring his swollen, bleeding face.

"You put your hands on your wide, or your little girl, or anybody else in this camp one more time and I will not stop," Shane told him. "Next time, you hear me? I will not stop," he informed him again. "Do you hear me? Do you hear me?!" he demanded. Ed, unable to answer simply nodded terrified of Shane. "I'll beat you dead Ed. I'll beat-" Shane paused punching Ed in the face once more before continuing. "-you dead!" he warned him before getting back onto his feet. He kicked Ed in the side before storming away while the women look on, stunned.

/////

In Atlanta; Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Andrea and T-Dog raced up the stairwell up to the top to the little green door which was still chained tight shut like T-Dog had told everyone. Electra handed the bolt cutters to T-Dog who continued by cutting the chains. Rick went to run first but Electra held his arm delaying him so that Daryl could be the one to burst through the doors first.

"Merle!"

Daryl speeded across to the other side of the roof before Electra, Rick, Glenn and T-Dog could even hope to get out of the door. When Electra got out of the door her smile dropped into a look of confusion when she saw Daryl pacing back and forward as Daryl began to pace back and forth with tears evident in his eyes.

Her eyes trailed across the hacksaw which was on the ground and a severed hand lay beside it before she set her eyes on something else which made her look down briefly before looking back up in pain. Grimacing her eyes continued towards where she had expected Merle to be sitting but instead a pair of bloody hand cuffs hung from the pipe above.

Daryl screamed still pacing back in fourth, his voice guttural but weaker than usual. He was getting more choked up by the second, briefly setting his eyes briefly on T-Dog who looked truly guilt ridden before pacing some more.

It was one of those rare occasions upon which Electra did not want to look but couldn't help it. She only briefly managed to tear her gaze away from Daryl and looked down to the ground but couldn't manage to hold her eye line there resulting in her looking up at him again.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"

It was unknown to Electra whether she grabbed Rick's hand or he grabbed hers but their fingers stayed entwined nevertheless.